Refrigerating apparatus



D. v1.. KAUFMAN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Sept. 8, 1942.

Filed May 28, 1937 lNVENlIOK.

ATTORNEYS VII Patented Sept. 8, 1942 UNITED ST T S PATENT orifice Daniel L. Kaufman, Dayton, Ohio, assignor General Motors Corporation, Dayton, hio, a corporation of Delaware,

Application May 28.19am Serial No. 145,311

g 4 Claims. (01.285-25) 4 This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to fluid pressure operating valves.

In refrigerant expansion valves there is considerable problem in preventing the access of moisture andfair containing moisture to the operating and control bellows of 'the valve, since such a valveis used in a rather cold portion of V the system and moisture tends to freeze onto all metal parts'thereoi. In order to prevent this freezing of moisture upon operating parts of the valve, it is customary to seal the valve casing. This is comparatively simple where no external thermostat tube is used or any external adjustment is provided. However, where an external tube is employed, it is imperative that a seal be provided. Likewise, where an external adjustment is used, it is also imperative that a seal be provided. Heretofore, several manually adjusted packing glands have commonly been provided.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved construction wherein a single automatic adjustable packing gland provides a seal for both the adjusting means and the thermostat, too.

Considerable valve trouble is also caused by misalignment of thevalve needle with the valve seat in power-operated valves.

It is an object'of my invention to provide a full floating valve needle'and support of an advantageous construction in order to overcome dif-- flculties of misalignment between the valve needle and its seat.

It is still another object of my invention to Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along'the lines 4 -4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the split washer shown in section in Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the top plate of the jvalve shown insection in Fig. 2.

Briefly,-I have shown a refrigerating system ,diagrammatically containing a thermostatic automatic expansion 'valve' incorporating a spring pressed rubber-like seal which makes sealing con- 'tact between the thermostat tube and the casing of the valve and is provided with a ring which bears against the inner end of the adjusting provide an improved return spring support which also has sufficient insulating value to serve a an insulating means;

It is another object of my invention to provid an improved locking means for the adjusting means and external tube. I

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accom- 'panying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

' In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a refrigerating Y system incorporating a thermostatic automatic expansion valve embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the' thermostatic expansion valve shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewtaken along the lines 3-4 of Fig. 2; v

sleeve. This adjusting sleeve is provided with a flange on its inner side which bears against the casing and a split washer on its outer side which bears against the outer face of the casing so as to hold the sleeve adjustment in position in the bearing provided for it in the casing. A top plate has an opening which receives the split washer. This top plate is held in place by screws in order to hold the split washer in place. The

pressure operated bellows is provided with the usual yoke having a socket which receives the rounded head of a valve needle which has' its head held in the socket by a tapered coil spring in order to permit universal movement of'the valve needle.

' Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown a refrigerating system including a compressor 20 for compressing the refrigerant and for forwarding the coinpressed refrigerant to a condenser 22 where the compressed refrigerant is liquefied and collected invthe receiver 24. From the receiver 24 the liquid refrigerant is forwarded through a supply conduit 26 to a thermostatic automatic expansion valve 28 which controls the flow of liquid refrigerant into the evaporating means 30. This thermostatic automatic expansion valve 28 has a thermostatic bulb 32 fastened to the outlet of evaporator 30 and connected to the thermostatic element of the automatic expansion valve by a small capillary tube 34.

Therefrigerant evaporates within the evaporato'r 30 under reduced pressure and is returned to the compressor through the return conduit 38. The compressor 20 is driven by an electric motor 38 through pulley and belt means under the control of a snap-acting low pressure switch '40 which has its operating bellows connected to the. return conduit 36.

Referring now more particularly to the re-' maining of the drawing, the valve 2! is provided with a valve body. 42 preferably of forged brass or other suitable material. This valve body is provided with an inlet opening 44 which receives a connector 48, which holds a coneshaped strainer 48 within the inlet opening. The valve body is also provided with the outlet opening 88 and a valve chamber 52 into which exby a ring 88 to the upper portion of the valve body 42 through the medium of a ring 88 which snaps into a groove formed within the upper wall, all of which is thereafter soldered to provide a permanent fluid tight joint.

The lower end of the bellows 84 is provided with an internal reinforcing member I8 which is fastened to the upper end of a yoke I2 by a stud member I4. The lower end of this yoke is provided with a cross member I3 which in turn is provided with aneedle socket stud I8 having a spherical socket I8 which receives the hemispherical head 18 ,of the needle valve 88 which has its upper conical end extending into the removable valve seat member 58. A spring cage 82 surrounds the valve needle and has an upper flange which receives the upper end of the conical spring 84 having. its lower end bearing against the head I8 of the needle valve. The lower end of this spring retainer 82 has portions 88 struck or bent into recesses in the portion'of the needle socket stud for holding the spring cage in place.

This spring cage is also held by the sides of the yoke cross member I8 which in turn is held in position in the yoke by a cup-shaped guide member 88 held in place by a small screw 88 which is threaded into the needle socket stud. This guide member 88 is provided with four or more struck-out projections 82 which bear against the inner cylindrical wall 88 which is made concentric within the limits of the best manufacturing accuracy with the seat member 88 and its seat.

By this construction the struck-out portions 82 accurately guide the bottom of the yoke in a vertical direction, and the valve needle is permitted a certain amount of variation by its ball and socket type of connection provided by its head and the socket in the needle socket stud. The

for the entire valve. This cap member I82 has internal threads in its lower end which are threaded onto the external threads provided upon the upper portion of the forged brass valve body 42 This cap member also holds the insulating member 84 laterally in place while the compression spring 88 always holds the insulatspring cage opening for the valve needle is a slightly larger than the valve needle so that it permits a limited movement of the valve needle to correct any small misalignment of the needle and its seat. This amount of free movement is always greater than the manufacturing errors so that substantially perfect seating conditions ,upper spring retainer 88 which is held in posi-v tion upon stud member 14 by a thin nut 88. The thin nut 88 may be threaded upwardly or downwardly to adjust the tension of the coil spring 88. The insulating member 84 prevents heat conduction from the bellows 84 and the valve body into the upper portion of the valve.

The upper portion of 'the valve is enclosed by an inverted cap member I82 of insulating material which cap, with the valve body, forms a casing ing member in engagement with the upper edge of the valve body 42.

Within the cap member I82 is an upper expansion element including a bellows I84 having lower end plates I88 and I88. The end plate I88 rests upon theupper end of the stud 14 while the end plate I88 rests upon the end plate I88 and receives the lower, end of the compression type coil spring II8. This end plate I88 also receives the head II2 of the bellows stem II4. This bellows stem is provided with a shoulder II8 which supports'the upper end plate II8 ofthe bellows H2. The compression spring II8 extends between the end plates I88 and H8 and tends to urge the upper end plate I I8 against the shoulder H8 and the lower end plate I88 against the head II2 of the hollow bellows stem II4. Fastened to the top of the upper end plate I I8 is the power element guide I28 which has ears extending at 180 from each other into grooves I22 formed upon the inner wall surface of the cap member I82.

The upper end of the hollow bellows stem member receives the small capillary tube 84 which, near the bellows stem, is surrounded by a small spring I24 in order to prevent too sharp a bending of this tube 34. The hollow bellows stem member is threaded at its upper end, and threaded onto it is a sleeve ty of adjusting member I28 provided with a flange I28 at its lowerend which bears against the shoulder in p the central aperture I88 of the cap member. This adjusting member I28,is also provided with a groove I32 which receives a split washer I84 which bears against the outer face of the cap member I82.

Beneath the flange I28 is a ring I88 of a rubher-like material such as a polymer of chloro-2- butadien'e-1,3 or common soft rubber. On either side of this ring is a metal ring I88 and I48. Be-

neath the metal ring I38 is a compression type coil spring I42 which extends between the'ring I88 and a recessed portion of the upper bellows end member II8. This spring tends to squeeze the rubber-like ring I38 tightly between the two metal rings I88 and I 48 so that the rubber-like ring will be forced into sealing engagement with s the inner .wall of the aperture I38 and the outside of the hollow stem II4. This provides a packing gland which is automatically adjusted and which automatically has the proper pressure upon the gasket element. This is the only seal necessary for the bellows stem which forms a .part of the tube connecting the bellows I84 and the thermostatic bulb 32. It is also the only seal for the sleeve type adjusting member I28.

The entire thermostatic assembly, excepting the split washer I84, is assembled into place by 'flrst. threading the thermostatic bulb 32 through the aperture in the cap member from the inside and drawing the entire assembly through the aperture until the flange I28 is drawn against its shoulder in the aperture I88. Then the split washer is slipped into place in the groove I82 which is provided for it. After this, a top plate I44 is slipped over the thermostatic bulb, the tube 34, the adjusting member I28, and the split washer I32 and then fastened in place by the e 2,204,988- screws ill in order to prevent the split 'washer' I" from becoming dislodged. This top plate I has an aperture I46 whichis practically the same shape as the outside of the split washer Ill. It; however, could be merely a concentric hold having a slightly greater diameter than the outside of the split washer "4..

While the term of embodiment of the invention:

as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred i'orm, it is to be understood that other forms might be t adopted, all, coming within the scope of the claims which ioliow.

What is claimed is as follows: v 1. In combination, a casing means for confining a gas and provided with an aperture therein, a first meansfor providing a connection between the exterior and the interior of said casing means means iorsealing the casing means, a washer between said seaiing member and said adjustment means, and spring means located within the casing means for holding said sealing means against said washer.

. 3. In combinationja casing provided with an aperture'therein, a first memberior providing a connection'between the exterior-and the interior of said casing extending through the aperture in the casing, and adjusting means coaxially surrounding said first member and entering into said aperture in said casing for adjusting axially the position of said first member with respect to said casing said adjusting means being pro-- vided'with a shoulder thereon, a split washer engaging said shoulder and casing for holding the 7 adjusting means in place, and a plate upon the extending through said aperture. asingle rotatable adjustment means cooperating with'the first means and the casing meansand having a bearing upon one of said cooperating means and being in threaded engagement with the other of said cooperating means for adjusting the position 0! the first means with respect to the aper-' single rotatable adjustment means cooperating with the first means and the casing means and having a bearing upon one 0! saidcooperating means and being in threaded engagement with another of said cooperating means for adjusting ture, a gas-tight sealing member held in sealing engagement with the casing means andthe first outside of the casing for holding the split washer in place.

4. In combination. a casing provided with an aperture therein,.a first member for providing a connection between the exterior and the interior of said casingextending through the aperture in the casing, and adjusting means coaxially surrounding said firstmember and'enteringinto said aperture in said casing for adjusting axially the position 01- said first member with respect-to said v casing, said adjusting means being provided with shoulder means upon the inside of the casing for engagingthe casing to prevent outward movement or the adjusting means, said means being also provided with a shoulder means upon the outside 0! the casing, a split washer on the outsideoi the casing-engaging said shoulder means on the outside of the casing as well as the casing for holding the adjustment means in place, and a platejastened to and-located upon the outsideof the casing for holding the split axially the first means with respect to the/aper v 4o washerin place. a

- DANIELLKAUFMAN. 

